Barn Mitzvah: Historic Structure in Maryland to Become Jewish Education Center

by Dovid Margolin – Chabad.org

Drive down Darnestown Road in Gaithersburg, Md., and in the distance, two white silos rise up like aged sentries guarding part of suburban Maryland’s rural roots.

The silos belong to the Garrett Farmhouse, which includes a 20,000-square-foot barn built in 1879. The property is being purchased by Chabad of Upper Montgomery County in Gaithersburg, with the intention of transforming it into an educational center for the area’s Jewish community.

Decades ago, the main green-and-white dairy barn and milk house were converted to serve as an area veterinary hospital. Recently, the property went up for sale. Located on a highly visible intersection, it has long attracted the attention of Rabbi Sholom and Chana Raichik, co-directors of the regional Chabad center. When the historic structure went up for auction on Lag BaOmer, Raichik decided it was propitious time to make an offer.

“Normally, these auctions are held onShabbat, but this one came up on a Thursday, on Lag BaOmer, an auspicious day for good things,” says Raichik, whose center is less than a mile down the road. “The space we’re in doesn’t support an extensive educational facility, so we have been looking for the opportunity to expand. This came up, and we decided to see if it would come in at a price that fit our plans. My wife was saying tehillim [prayers] while I was waving my bid card. Thank G‑d, it worked out, and we jumped on it.”

While Garrett Farmhouse may be landmarked as a significant example of vernacular architecture, it shouldn’t be confused with its more famous—or rather, infamous—namesake: the long-gone Garrett Farmhouse in Northern Virginia, where President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, died in a shootout with Union troops.

Once the purchasing process is settled (Chabad plans to close within a month of the auction), Raichik envisions a host of opportunities in the eye-catching space with the ultimate goal of turning it into a full-service educational facility for children, teenagers and adults. He says the local Jewish community has been enthusiastic about the purchase.

“The uniqueness of the structure lends itself to a lot of opportunities,” he adds, “so we’re very excited about the possibilities.”